5 Months and Counting (Our Growing Baby)
Must-Knows
Five/Fine Months Old
- Morning time is the best time to spend time with your baby
- Get down on the floor
- Play some music ( he loved Sam cook and Al Green)
- Give your baby some downtime
As you prepare for your baby’s half-birthday, spend some quality time together in the mornings. It’s often the time of day when your baby is the most active, awake, and happy. If you can, make the most of your mornings together by bringing out some special toys or just enjoy talking to each other before you head into your daily routine.
Your baby will learn about the world around them from the ground up, which means you should join them at their level—literally. Plop down on the floor with them, encourage them to roll over or try new skills, or just blow raspberries on your baby’s tummy and relish those baby giggles (check out my baby giggles).
Not my son but he is so cute
At 5 months old, your baby is like a sponge, absorbing all kinds of information about the world from the environment around them. The groundwork for language begins this month, so along with talking and reading to your baby, play music in your home too. There’s no need to make it all “baby” music either. Anything with a beat is good to go!
You know how even as an adult you can get overwhelmed by life and just need quiet, maybe a darkened room, and some comfy blankets? Babies are no different! And in fact, babies probably have even more need for downtime than adults, since their brain is literally being inundated with new information, new sounds, and new skills 24/7. Your baby needs downtime to rest, recover, and grow, so enjoy some snuggles if you’re both feeling overwhelmed.
Developmental Milestones
Keep in mind that your baby, at 5 months old, may just be starting to hit some of the following milestones, or may have already passed them. Babies all develop at different stages and if your baby was born prematurely or has any special needs, they may be on a different timeline. Here are some of the developmental milestones you can look for this month.
- Sits with support. Your baby may even start pushing up to a sitting position on their own later on this month.
- Bears weight on legs
- Reaches for and holds a rattle
- Holds up head and chest on their own
- Pushes to elbows from stomach
- Actively attempts to reach objects that they spot
- Follows objects with eyes
- Chews on their hands
When to Be Concerned
Although every baby will develop differently, if your little one is displaying any of the following signs or symptoms, be sure to talk to your doctor about them or discuss them at your baby’s 6-month well-child check-up:
A Tip From Momster
Contact your Doc if :
- Your baby has crossed eyes
- Has gained less than 50 percent of their birth weight
- Is unable to hold their head up
- Is not able to sit up at all with support
- Can’t bring hands or other items to their mouth
- Does not seem to respond to or is uninterested in your face
- Has a soft spot that appears to be bulging
- Doesn’t watch items or people as they move
- Isn’t smiling
A Day in the Life of Momster Mel
Your 5-month-old baby’s day will most likely begin bright and early, depending on when they go to bed and how long they sleep at night. A sample day in the life of my 5-month-old baby might look like this:
- 9 a.m.—Wake-up, breakfast, and playtime ( While mama works out)
- 10 a.m.—Snack, playtime (with parent)
- Noon—Lunch, nap (1.5-hour nap)
- 2 p.m.—Feeding, snack, tummy time
- 4 p.m.—Feeding, Playtime and snack, possibly another short nap
- 6 p.m.—Feeding, lessons (We are teaching in language and Spanish)
- 7-8 p.m.—Bathtime, story
- 9-10p.m. –Bedtime
At 5 months old, some babies do sleep through the night, which might mean between eight and nine hours at night. So, if your baby is going to bed for the night at 7 p.m., they could wake up “for the day” around 4 a.m. that’s why me and mines go to bed a little later.
Remember momster I’m not a doctor or a professional I’m just a mom sharing her joruney. Children grow and develop at different speeds. If you’re worried about whether your child’s development is ‘normal’, it might help to know that ‘normal’ varies a lot. But if you still feel that something isn’t quite right, see your child and family health midwife/doctor.
Please share in the comments your baby schedule or any other ideas you have for our babies we need all the help we can get.